Beer calendar: Cool down with fruit beers, a festival and a grand opening

Although they've both been operating in Fort Collins for more than two decades, Odell and New Belgium had never collaborated on a beer. That changed last month when the two Colorado stalwarts teamed up on FOCOllaboration Ale, a pale ale made with Fawcett Crystal Malt (an Odell favorite), Centennial, Cascade and Citra hops (New Belgium staples). "After working just down the street from each other for 23 years, it seemed the right time to brew something together," said Odell co-founder Wynne Odell in a statement. "Our collaboration beer combines our long term friendship with our collective creativity resulting in a delightful, neighborly brew. The 6.7 percent ABV beer will be bottled.

Turn the page for more news and this week's craft beer events.

After a long search in Boulder and Weld counties, the owners of Grossenbart Brewery have finally secured a location in Longmont, at 1025 Delaware Avenue, close to Left Hand Brewing's campus. The facial hair-themed brewery hopes to open this fall.

Wednesday, June 4

June is fruit beer cask month at the Copper Kettle, which is tapping a firkin of fruity beer each Wednesday. Today's is Strawberry Basil Blonde. Ckrepes will serving food at 3 p.m.

River North Brewery will tap its Cherry J. Marie today at 3 p.m. as part of its weekly Wayward Wednesday series. There are only five gallons, so it will go fast.

Thursday, June 5

Former Future Brewing and A Cheese Peddler will host a beer and cheese pairing tonight from 5 to 7 p.m. at Former Future. There will be four cheeses and four beers along with an education-focused tasting. Tickets are $25.

Saturday, June 7

Dan Rabin, the author of Colorado Breweries, a newly released guidebook to our state's beer-makers, will be signing copies of his guide today at 2 p.m. at New Belgium Brewing in Fort Collins. An award-winning beer and travel journalist and author of the Rocky Mountain column for Celebrator Beer News, Rabin covers 149 breweries and brewpubs throughout the state.

Denver Pearl Brewing will host a Grand Opening Party today from noon until midnight with 11 beers on tap, limited release tappings, and prizes.

The 2nd Annual Highlands Ranch Beer Festival takes place today from 2 to 6 p.m. at Civic Green Park. There will be live music, local and national breweries and lawn games. Tickets are $25 ($35 on the day of, although this will probably sell out) and include unlimited one-ounce samples and a souvenir tasting glass. Individual beer will be available for purchase. Proceeds will benefit the Highlands Ranch Scholarship Fund.

Sunday, June 8

Based on the popularity of its beer-bike crawl last year, the Yak & Yeti and Odyssey Beerwerks, both in Arvada, have decided to host more of them this summer. The first one begins today at 11 a.m. at the Yak (go to the brewpub's website for parking instructions) before continuing on to Odyssey, and then Cannonball Creek in Golden. From there, cyclists will hit Mountain Toad and Barrels & Bottles, also in Golden, before returning home. It's free to participate, and attendees get a sticker and a wristband good for discounts and giveaways at other breweries. The next two crawls take place on July 13 and August. 31.

For more events later in May, turn the page.

Thursday, June 12

Star Bar will host a Renegade Brewing tap takeover today beginning at 5 p.m. in honor of the fact that the brewery just signed with Elite Brands of Colorado, which will distribute its beers across the state. There will be Renegade brews on draft and in cans.

Twelve Degree Brewing plans to be Louisville's official FIFA World Cup 2014-watching spot beginning at 2 p.m. today. To celebrate, the brewery is pouring MFBPA, a 6.3 percent ABV Belgian-American hybrid pale ale, today. Dry-hopped with American Columbus hops, the beer has piney, citrusy buts along with light, fruity esters from the Belgian yeast. Twelve Degree will be opening for extended hours during the World Cup in order to show almost all games live.

Saturday, June 14

Great Divide Brewing will host its twentieth anniversary blowout at the "future site" of its second location, at 3403 Brighton Boulevard, today from 2 to 6 p.m.; in the past, the brewery has held a block party on its current location on Arapahoe Street. There will be live music (Gin Doctors, Dirty Few, Varlet and Confluence) and food trucks (Basic Kneads, Burger Radio, 5280 Street Eats, Pink Tank); tickets are $30 or $35 in advance (although the party has sold out early in years past), and include a food ticket. There will also be bike valet parking provided by Denver's B-cycle. And, of course, there will be plenty of beer, including Great Divide's 20th Anniversary Belgian Style Ale, some special sours and barrel-aged brews, and a sneak peak of Showdown, an 8.3 percent ABV rye IPA that will be released later this year in bomber bottles.

Boulder Beer Company will celebrate its 35th anniversary with a celebration from noon to 9 p.m. at the brewery. The brewers have worked up some special offerings for the rare beer tasting garden outside. There will also be live music all day.

River North Brewery will release a beer nearly two years in the making today at 1 p.m. Aged for twenty months in red wine barrels with Brettanomyces, River North describes its Oud Bruin as "an exercise in balance; rich Belgian malt notes blend with tartness from a partial lactobacillus fermentation, funk from brettanomyces and a pleasant finish lended by extensive red wine aging." The brewery only made fifty cases total of 750 ml bottles; they cost $20 with a two-bottle limit in the taproom. Draft pours will also be available.

Sunday, June 15

Avery Brewing will release Obscuro & Nimbosus, number twenty in its Barrel Series, today at 1 p.m. at the Boulder taproom. The tropical sour was aged in rum barrels. Each twelve-ounce bottle is $12 and there is a limit of twelve per person. The line will form early. Cash only. Also, there will be a lineup of other rare or obscure Avery beers to drink while you are in line. And Avery will treat fathers to a pint of IPA or White Rascal since it is Father's Day.

Sunday, June 22

BRU handbuilt ales & eats, which was originally conceived and founded in chef Ian Clark's Boulder garage, will celebrate its second anniversary today with a party from 1 to 8 p.m. There will be special tappings, including the 1st Anniversary bomber pouring at 2:30 and the 2nd Anniversary release at 3:30, along with live music and a pig roast with all the fixins'. Tickets, $25 in advance, are available at bruboulder.com.

Saturday, June 28

Renegade Brewing will celebrate its third anniversary today with a block party from 3 to 10 p.m. in the 900 block of West Ninth Avenue in front of the brewery. There will be music all day (3:30 CP Carrington, 5:30 Holly Lovell, 7:00 The Way, The Arrow, 8:30 The Knew), food trucks (Matt's Snack Shack, Baba & Pop's Kitchen, Slider Shack 303, Em's Ice Cream), ice cream, and tons of beer. There is no entrance fee and all beers, including the regular lineup and a few hits from the past year, are $5. A free bike valet will be provided by the Denver Bicycle Cafe.